Playoff Final

[Bagpuss]

17 hours ago, iainb said:

The whole idea of the play offs is to build the season to a crescendo and far too often recently it builds to frustration and ultimately chaos without the firm scheduling of Tv contracts to work to.

It's time to abandon play offs unfortunately for anything other than the top league where Tv demands it

But then Lord Ford won't get his extra bumper crowd every year

I agree though, get these finals raced in August/early Sept or get rid. Its doing so much damage.

Edited October 30, 2023 by Bagpuss

[mac101]

29 minutes ago, FishersGate said:

Alot of the issues were down to some strange choices from a few riders during the practice laps. I think the track was ok but some of the kids decided to go hell bent for leather on thier practice. Jenkins and few others said the track was actually good for racing. Track man also said after a few races the bottom layer of matieral would have come through. Think the riders need take some blame also.

if you watched all the riders they were riding the same line mid track and with the track being so grippy into the corners they had to attack it or like the ones that shut off a bit ended up in there back side ,the  track was just rideable at its best no chance it was raceable  putting 4 riders on that would have caused carnage on the first bend as you couldn’t ride the inside best call was the ref making the decision after max hit the fence with his bike going over it not one rider complained after it was called off 

[IainB]

11 minutes ago, Bagpuss said:

But then Lord Ford won't get his extra bumper crowd every year

I agree though, getvthese finals raced in August/early Sept or get rid. Its doing so much damage.

NDL is a shambles this year

CL & NDL was a shambles last year

Can't remember what happened in 2021, but it was a late start due to covid, so I'll let that go 

2019 CL play offs were a shambles

[Big Al]

This business of riders going out to test the track has to be questionable. It sounds a bit like Dominic Cummins and his drive with his kids in his car to test out his eyesight. A serious accident to prove the track isn't rideable - is that sane? Let the captains and ref make the call based on an inspection but don't let riders loose on it or someone is going to end up in hospital

[SJA]

Travelled up from London for this And witnessed something I have not see before. Leicester sent out someone who all the Leicester fans appeared to know to update the fans queuing for tickets on the state of the track and what was happening inside the stadium. When i made in it about 15 minutes before it was called off his description of conditions appeared accurate. I am aware that the club are getting slated, but I feel they need to be congratulated for trying to be honest on what was happening.   

[FishersGate]

As if leicester put a statement on facebook and you now cant comment on it. Thats one way of silencing the fans

[bigcatdiary]

Your making excuses for management, most promoters and certainly Dickson know full well their own tracks and specifically know when track conditions are unsuitable for speedway racing, bearing in mind the rain that has fallen recently it surely should have been blindingly obvious to anyone that the track wasn’t up to it if it was completely saturated the day before.

Utter shambles is pretty accurate to describe the yearly attempts to run meetings in October when the weather is pretty much the same year on year, and the same end of season scramble to complete meetings and finals is the same year on year.

Official meetings need to be completed by the end of September and October is spare for the odd meeting rather than important finals.

[WembleyLion]

 

6 hours ago, bigcatdiary said:

Your making excuses for management, most promoters and certainly Dickson know full well their own tracks and specifically know when track conditions are unsuitable for speedway racing, bearing in mind the rain that has fallen recently it surely should have been blindingly obvious to anyone that the track wasn’t up to it if it was completely saturated the day before.

Utter shambles is pretty accurate to describe the yearly attempts to run meetings in October when the weather is pretty much the same year on year, and the same end of season scramble to complete meetings and finals is the same year on year.

Official meetings need to be completed by the end of September and October is spare for the odd meeting rather than important finals.

Agreed it was (once again) a total shambles yesterday. One look at the track and it was obvious there would be no Speedway. It was also of great concern that young and inexperienced riders were allowed to prove it! Goodness only knows what would have happened with four of them on the track at the same time.

The shambles continues today with nobody knowing whether there is going to be a restaging (obviously not at Leicester) or precisely what significance is to be placed on the meeting at Oxford tomorrow should that go ahead.

I just get the feeling that fans apart nobody is in the slightest bit bothered by all of this.

Edited October 30, 2023 by WembleyLion

[Big Al]

It could probably be run today, given its a dry and sunny day. But getting everyone available could be a problem.

[Marksman]

Might have to run the final at Northside as a one off final at this rate  

The track is in mint condition and will be running all winter, there's a lot to be said for having a 100% shale track

Seriously though, what will they do in a weeks time, when it still likely hasn't been ran?

[topaz325]

Sad that this finale looks like not been run this season.

Edited October 30, 2023 by topaz325

[mac101]

the season has to officially finish on wednesday if the oxford home match goes ahead tomorrow it could maybe  be a one off final or leicester will ask for dispensation to run after wednesday but can’t see their track being ready any time soon or if tuesday is off do they try to run a one off final at a neutral track which looks ok somewhere weather wise or Give it to the one that’s finished top of the league split the title who know but maybe find out soon lol

[mac101]

mildenhall awarded the KO cup 

[Bojangles]

It’s now officially a one-legged winner takes all final at Oxford tomorrow. If that’s rained off, it goes on league positions. 

https://britishspeedway.co.uk/ndl/ndl-grand-final-ko-cup-final-update/

Edited October 30, 2023 by Bojangles

[screm]

Shambles.

[Normski]

13 minutes ago, screm said:

Shambles.

8 teams in NDL so 7 home meetings to organise, only 4 teams entered KO cup so maximum 2 home meetings plus 1 more home meeting for playoffs. 10 home meetings to complete in 7 months ffs

[FishersGate]

9 minutes ago, Normski said:

8 teams in NDL so 7 home meetings to organise, only 4 teams entered KO cup so maximum 2 home meetings plus 1 more home meeting for playoffs. 10 home meetings to complete in 7 months ffs

And leicester have use of the track all year...

[Normski]

1 minute ago, FishersGate said:

And leicester have use of the track all year...

Exactly

[Happy Hunter]

I wouldn't mind so much if there was some sort of consistency. If Oxford can win the League on a one match play off why can't Leicester win the KO Cup on a one match play off, especially as they have already won at Mildenhall!

[Hawk127]

14 minutes ago, Normski said:

8 teams in NDL so 7 home meetings to organise, only 4 teams entered KO cup so maximum 2 home meetings plus 1 more home meeting for playoffs. 10 home meetings to complete in 7 months ffs

Yep and if you use the argument that it is a summer sport, you could stretch the point by starting in May and finishing in August, circa sixteen weeks ignoring the fact that you have three bank holidays to stage meetings and those in charge still cannot get the clubs to stick to a rigid schedule  so that finals are in August and at the very least run into the first two weeks in September at the latest. It just goes to show the lack of respect everyone in charge of the sport has for those trying to climb the speedway ladder and then those further up the chain moan about the lack of talent. Every club outside the NDL is to blame for that and if they stopped propping up leagues with foreign riders and worked on local talent, then the sport rider wise might be in a better position. You have to feel for the NDL riders who have such an uphill struggle when it is not necessary, just those in charge seem to want to make it an endurance test.